SoCal

Down along Pacific Coast Highwayon a smooth curving lip over a mouth of seajust a glance before Crystal Cove’sjutting forehead of rocky cliff looms to startle any driverthe Shake Shack sits

perched between spiky palmsit feeds a snake of traffic winding in off hot lanesand into tight lines waiting their turnbumper to bumper in suntan oiled heatfor cold malted nirvana through a strawhot patties dripping mustard and sauce down chinsand tasty spears of salty fries munched while sunglasses mirror bikinis and liquid blue

a lick of seabreeze tugs a scarfit’s silk blowing a reminder of timehats and pink skin risesandals and sand between toes and inside rental carsleave the ledge of California dreamingto take in and take back to the insides of the mainlandthat tiny dose of what paradise southern beaches can beand prop a dancing surfer-girl on the dashboarda talismanto recall and call inthis slice of lifeonce back in the saddle of home and neckties and routine

Ticketron trailCrystal Cove, California

Something in me was ready for morea little itch I knowwhen the animal insidewants to explore

a path less traveled whisperedgiving my paws directiona thrill of not knowing where it was taking me shot through my veins

winding me around blind cornersof bone-dry thicketbright mustard no longera narrow mazeof white feather-quills rising up beyond my browfrom wings of a once animated birdthat lay now pointing the way

slithering serpentine sweepslipped me down a little swish of dark earthfurther, furtheruntil I landed in a cleft of bush

little mouse that I am pivotedlooking up to see her hipbones jutting up Eastand legs a parting canyon stretching out West towards the bright seaI stood in the vortexthe making place between

my breath caught and I hopped up scaling her ribcagealiveness pumping through my heartand powerful scurrying around on the Great Motherwhile she was napping

until I realized she was just laying therepoopedwashed outuninspired giving herself over to the pitter-pat of wolvespecking of birds rooting of grassesletting her nature melt into the scene

I stopped and laid my cheek against the stone of her tummylistening for a breath or a beatnext to her navel filled with Angel’s Trumpetmoonflowers so lovely with their tips of night skyready to lure and send to shaman-worlds-of-dreamingeven the bravest of souls

cutting a wide swath around the power in that centerand gazing up at full blue breastsshe rumbled, I ain’t doin’ it any more

the ground shook and I got it

Giving birth and nourishing this green ballMother Earth, phooeyThas jes what they sayDone with tha' roleFeeding y’allSome nice babies have come along…But oh dem stinkers!Some of ‘em I can’t even look at anymore No hope left in my eyesThink I’ll get me a new jobBe a fairy princessor a mermaidor visit my sister, KaliJes wipe the slate clean

I couldn’t blame her as I tiptoed across her neck and chin to see her hair flowing down the mountains to the riverscircling back into the seawhere her feet were firmly planted

SheetsNewport Beach, California

You know I like to get that iron out and press those sheetsinto origami crispnessfresh steam releasing paper-white fragrance of home and newnesssliding into them at the end of a daywhere its just mejust for meholding onto my quiet books and feather-soft pillows and little downy dog curled upfitting into the peace of clean and prettyan undisturbed lady in waiting

today I left them alonedidn’t want to wash the you outpleasuring in their crumplingrelishing signs of our rumplingI let them hold the places of the night‘cuz you’ve disturbed me in such a nice way